Students Tasered at High School Career Fair

On April 8th, Lake County Colorado Sheriff Deputy John Ortega was visiting a high school career fair when he was asked by several students to taser them.  It is reported that Ortega initially declined, but after the students agreed to sign a release form, Ortega felt that it was acceptable to taser them.  It has not been reported if the forms were even signed. 

Now, Ortega stands accused with 9 counts of reckless endangerment, 1 count of child abuse not sustaining injury, and 11 counts of child abuse sustaining injury.  In total, this is only 21 counts for 21 children who have filed suit.  The number of children actually tasered is reported to be 34.  Many of those children have yet to file suit.  But if found guilty on all of these pending counts, Ortega could face a maximum of 27 and a half years in a county jail. 

What Ortega did not realize was that several of those children had heart problems.  Fortunately, no one was critically harmed, but two children have sustained at least minor burns and had to be treated at a hospital.

The taser used was very similar to a stun gun.  Typically, tasers contain a pair of small darts that shoot out of the gun and latch onto a person's body.  Once attached, the tasers send electrical shocks throughout the victim's body.  However, the taser used in this incident featured the "drive-stun" option where the darts aren't necessary, and the shock is sent directly from the gun to the victim. 

To learn more about this incident, click here.  Roswold Law Group is committed to fighting for the rights of children in cases such as these.  We understand the tremendous difficulties presented by these situations, and we are dedicated to getting child injury victims the justice and compensation they deserve.